Lead Java Developer - Contract Role
Posted 1 week ago by Stealth IT Consulting
Negotiable
Inside
Hybrid
Manchester, UK
Summary: The role of Lead Java Developer involves leading technical delivery for a public sector digital transformation project, focusing on Java-based services. The position requires guiding engineering teams and ensuring adherence to best practices aligned with GDS standards. The developer will work collaboratively with various stakeholders to shape and deliver effective solutions. This is a hybrid role requiring one day per week in Manchester.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end development of scalable, secure Java services within a multi-team environment.
- Provide technical leadership, mentoring and direction to Java engineers.
- Work closely with architects, product managers, BAs and DevOps teams to shape and deliver solutions.
- Drive best practices around clean code, testing, performance, and maintainability.
- Oversee code reviews, technical decisions, and engineering governance.
- Influence solution design and contribute to architectural discussions.
- Ensure services comply with public sector, accessibility, and security standards.
- Support continuous integration and deployment pipelines.
Key Skills:
- Strong, hands-on Java development experience (Java 11+).
- Experience leading engineering teams in an Agile, user-centred environment.
- Spring Boot, microservices, RESTful APIs.
- CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or similar).
- Containerisation using Docker/Kubernetes.
- Strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or equivalent).
- TDD/BDD, JUnit, Mockito, performance optimisation.
- Experience working on large-scale government or public-sector digital services.
Salary (Rate): £570 daily
City: Manchester
Country: UK
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: Mid-Level
Industry: IT
Inside IR35
£570
Hybrid - 1 day per week in Manchester
Public Sector Project
6-12 Months
Overview
We're looking for an experienced Lead Java Developer to join a major public sector digital transformation programme. You'll lead technical delivery across complex Java-based services, guide engineering teams, and ensure best-practice development aligned with GDS standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end development of scalable, secure Java services within a multi-team environment.
- Provide technical leadership, mentoring and direction to Java engineers.
- Work closely with architects, product managers, BAs and DevOps teams to shape and deliver solutions.
- Drive best practices around clean code, testing, performance, and maintainability.
- Oversee code reviews, technical decisions, and engineering governance.
- Influence solution design and contribute to architectural discussions.
- Ensure services comply with public sector, accessibility, and security standards.
- Support continuous integration and deployment pipelines.
Essential Skills
- Strong, hands-on Java development experience (Java 11+).
- Experience leading engineering teams in an Agile, user-centred environment.
- Spring Boot, microservices, RESTful APIs.
- CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or similar).
- Containerisation using Docker/Kubernetes.
- Strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or equivalent).
- TDD/BDD, JUnit, Mockito, performance optimisation.
- Experience working on large-scale government or public-sector digital services.
Nice-to-Have
- Knowledge of GDS standards (GOV.UK patterns, service design principles).
- Exposure to event-driven architectures/Kafka.
- Experience with Terraform or IaC.
- Working knowledge of security standards and secure coding practices.